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Ok, I found the perfect recipe for this. I was at the Spanish Table in Seattle the other day and I purchased 2 Serrano Ham Hocks with the intention of making a soup. I didn’t know what kind of soup I would be making but I knew that delicious pig piece would be part of it. In class I’m going to present this recipe to our team, we have another teammate that is vegetarian so I need to do a little convincing. Pig parts, you’re coming to school with me!!!

This recipe is courtesy of About.com

Enrico Banducci’s Minestrone

Serves 4 to 8:

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 90 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 slices bacon of Pancetta, cut into small cubes
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 leek, chopped (white part only)
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 cans of chicken broth, (14-oz cans—or equivalent amount of homemade chicken broth)
• 1 cup lima or great northern beans
• 2 ham hocks
• 1 can tomato paste (6-oz can)
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped coarsely
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary needles, chopped coarsely
• 1/2 pound string beans, snapped and cut into one inch lengths
• 4 carrots, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 1/2 head cabbage, shredded
• 1/2 bunch Swiss chard, well-washed and cut into shreds about two inches
• 5 zucchini, cut into one or two inch rounds
• 1 cup macaroni (preferably the short ones that are about a half inch)
• 1 cup grated Regianno Parmegianno
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 zucchini blossom per serving

Preparation:

1. Heat bacon in a large soup pot over medium heat until brown but not crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Add onion, leek and garlic and cook until brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Add chicken broth and ham hocks (rinse ham hocks in warm water first). Add beans (no need to soak first), basil, bay leaves, thyme, sage and rosemary. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat down and simmer over low heat for 1/2 hour, or until beans are soft but not mushy.

2. Remove soup pot from heat. Remove beans with slotted spoon. Return half of the beans to the pot. Pulse half the beans in grinder or blender for 10 seconds. Remove ham hocks from soup pot and remove meat from hocks, chop finely and return to pot. Return pulsed beans to pot. Add tomato paste and Regianno Parmegianno. Cover pot and return to boil. Reduce heat to simmer.

3. Add string beans and carrots. Simmer until done, about 15 minutes. Add shredded cabbage and simmer for 10 minutes. Add Swiss chard and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add zucchini and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.

4. Boil three quarts of water in a separate pot. Add a pinch of salt. When water is at a rolling boil add macaroni and cook 12 to 15 minutes or until macaroni is al dente. Stir frequently. Drain and rinse macaroni and add to soup pot. Bring soup to boil and lower heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

5. Ladle minestrone into soup bowls and garnish with a sprinkling of Regianno Parmegianno and a zucchini blossom.
It’s a monster of a recipe so it’s definitely worth using some Serrano Ham!